jamesdeluxe":24ih9yok said:Always take pix in landscape (not portrait) format.![]()
Sbooker":3mdrigtu said:We spent the day at Snowbird today. Fantastic cool weather and the snow was in great condition though some places were better than others. We had four or five lifts on the Gad side so my friends could get their confidence. This reinforced my view that Snowbird has heaps of great terrain suitable for most skiers. I will concede it is fairly easy to get into locations that are a bit advanced if you don’t really know an area and you aren’t on a marked run.
That was my observation on my first trip to LCC in 1981.sbooker":2w3tl9w6 said:That perfect snow really makes ordinary skiers seem like better skiers.
EMSC":27ofrs5c said:First I love the upside down picture! It's not you, it the forum software. This is the only place I post pictures that doesn't read the underlying Exif data correctly to determine picture orientation, though I must admit I've never had one display upside down.
As to your question, I would rate the 3 bowls as Rendevous is the easiest of the three. Liberty might be possible for your friend especially if they are getting better as you go on the trip, but the hardest part will be the entry up top, some zig zag snow fences create a interesting entry section and can have a very exposed feeling (more so than Rendevous), especially if there is cloud around - which is often at Big Sky. That said it's a touch steeper, but usually less moguls. It also goes for much more vertical While I've never skied Highlands Bowl (will be there skiing it later this week though), my understanding is it is yet steeper then either of the other two.
What I do recommend is that everyone at least intermediate in your group to take the 'beer can' tram at Big Sky up to the top for the views (you can download it, then ski the moderate morningstar trail).
Tony Crocker":2f5rl0af said:I fixed your pictures. I forgot that the Alta pictures had captions and lost those. You can add them back if you want.
I agree with EMSC about Liberty vs. Rendezvous, similar pitch but Liberty is longer and can have a rocky entry.
Highlands Bowl? Don't even think about it, any of you. It's a consistent 40 degrees for 1,000+ vertical. But more important is the lung busting hike of ~600 vertical at over 12,000 feet. You do not want to be tired skiing something that is a stretch for your ability/experience. The terrain needs to be in your comfort zone and is comparable to High Rustler at Alta, Great Scott/Upper Cirque at Snowbird, Lenin/Dictator Chutes at Big Sky. I've skied Highlands Bowl 3x, all after sleeping a full week at 8,500+ in Colorado, most recently http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... hp?t=11685" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Cannot be scouted in advance. Steep sections are not that long but there are choke points. The approach is blind and coverage varies by season. If you get there and find it's too much you're looking a tough hike back out. In January 2014 Liz got stuck in a Hanging Valley choke point for a good half an hour before ski patrol came by and coaxed her down. Best to ask an instructor or someone comparably qualified who has observed you ski. At Mammoth you skied terrain that steep but not where it was narrow, forcing turns to be made in very specific spots.sbooker":j6n13lsw said:Headwall and Hanging Valley at Snowmass?
Yes the upper half of Rendezvous preserves snow better than the rest of Jackson. I suspect south facing Apres Vous is in spring mode already.sbooker":j6n13lsw said:Snow conditions have been nice and the top half of the mountain certainly hasn’t melted/refrozen yet.